Happy Healthy Horses

We can easily assume that horses know where their feet are, how to stand on them and use them for balance and propulsion. You don’t give much thought to how they sense the ground through their hooves; you simply assume that they do because, after all, within hours of birth, horses can stand and run.

A horses’ quality of movement is directly affected by how they place their four small circles of surface area (4 feet) on the ground. Horses have habitual (unconscious) patterns of standing which research has shown they develop from the first day they start eating grass (there is usually a favoured foot which goes in front when eating and this one has a slightly different hoof wall shape until/if we choose to reshape for metal shoes and through barefoot trimming).

Similarly each horse develops their own pattern of moving without and then with a rider or harness and ‘kit.’ This new pattern of movement can create anxiety, instability, poor quality movement and what we typically think of as “resistance” as they attempt to remain upright especially in biomechanical relationship to their rider or the harness and vehicle/machinery they pull. It is the job of the first riders and trainers to prepare their horse for the mechanical stresses abs strains of their job. Sadly all trainers are not equal in terms of experience and skills in this area and so there are variable results for the horse.

Many classical trainers in fact train a large majority of movements from the ground and without the weight of a rider- this allows horses to develop independently in their proprioception and movement before adding the complexity of weight. Some systems (such as the Spanish riding school in Austria) build the horse’s ability through levels of rider and trainer, ensuring their riders have a balanced and independent seat before beginning. The majority of horses and ponies do not have the benefit of hundreds of years of training experience such as is available in some of the great military schools. When we buy our own ‘finished’ riding horse, we cannot guarantee how he or she has laid down their muscles and depending on their experience and where they have lived, they can have very specific proprioceptive problems.

My old riding horse Joe came with an amazing ability to go very fast across fields and jump fences but he had little idea how to negotiate steep hills. When he moved to my farm in Wales, he not only had to take me for rides up and down steep hills but also to stand and eat on slopes. For the first few weeks we noticed he had a lot of bumps and strains until one day I saw him effectively fall off the hill he was standing in and roll down the field to the bottom where there was a flat area. He had lived on flat paddocks, worked as a racehorse on race tracks which were usually flat with a few big fences (which he cleared with ease) and he had tried and been successful with low level show jumping in his retirement from racing. What he had not down was climb hills and he had never stood side on to a hill to eat. He learned and he stopped falling off the hill within a matter of four weeks but his difficulties demonstrates how proprioception is an essential part of safe movement.

By contrast our highland pony lived wild for the first few years of his life on the craggy and uneven ground of the common grazings on the Isle of Skye. He is one of the most sure footed horses I have ever encountered. He has a remarkable ability to get in and out of places and to know what needs to be jumped and what can simply be kicked out of the way! (An ability that wasn’t always helpful to the young girls that tried to take him over a series of flimsy jumps in their riding lessons!)

Meggy was a pony who refused to go in her owner’s rather lovely lorry. She had been transported prior to sale with ease in a cattle trailer with a long and relatively low ramp but in a cattle trailer that was all metal and really noisy. Yet she had gone on with ease. The beautiful, comfy and quiet lorry was a different matter. She viewed it with apparent suspicion and distaste, fighting with all her little frame to avoid putting a foot in the ramp. Simply forcing her resulted in rearing and digging her little feet into the ground or worse lying down on the bottom of the ramp. When I broke down the problem, she could go in all sorts of boxes, stalls and trailers. She could walk over bridges with relative ease and a little persuasion. So the biggest issue was the steepness of the ramp and her ability to work out how to negotiate it. By working on her balance and gradually increasing the ramps gradient (using other ramps up to the lorry ramp) eventually she learned how to organise her legs to get up and on the lorry which she then showed she loved!

What is proprioception? Imagine running upstairs with a basket full of washing where you cannot see your stairs or your feet. How do you know where to put your feet and how to hold your body? Small sensory balance nerves from joints, muscles and skin gove messages to your brain which keep you upright. When you learned to negotiate stairs as a child, you probably had to use your bottom, your vision, your hands in order to feel safe until you built the skills and the muscle memory for the job and at that point you flicked a switch over to automatic and relied just on proprioception alone to do the job.

A horse gets up on his feet pretty quickly as a foal so he can run from predators and keep up with the nomadic lifestyle of his species, but he does not learn how to use those same legs to do the things we humans require him to do nor to move while wearing the weights that shoes or boots create on his feet nor to hold his back and stomach in a way that protects his spinous processes and prevents problems like kissing spines that arise from not understanding how to carry the weight of tack and/or a rider. These things require training and the development of new neural pathways and new patterns of muscle memory. If some of these patterns are lacking, we as owners and bodyworkers or horse trainers can begin to fill in the gaps to create beautiful movement and to shield our horse’s bodies against injury.

How the horse’s foot meets the ground is how that horse meets the world. No matter the size of the horse, his relationship to gravity and the earth is dependent on the way the horse stands and lands on his hoof.

While many people recognize that good quality shoeing and trimming are essential parts of good horsemanship, in almost all cases training attempts to alter behavior and movement of the horse without addressing the fundamental way the horse’s foot meets the ground. Increasing numbers of anecdotal case studies suggest that, while it may be the case that the well- trimmed barefoot horse has a little better sense of what is going on under him in terms of protecting his feet, he can have just as many bad habits in his body in terms of carrying a rider or pulling a cart.

In the field of human and dog physical training we already have a bodywork and development mode that we know is extremely successful in building the core muscles and improving proprioception and results int terms of clinical and performance outcomes.

Within the equine barefoot trimming field we have been experimenting and demonstrating excellent results by using different surfaces and challenges with physical obstacles on paradise track systems and in horse walkers.

I have been ‘playing with’ using similar balance exercises to the balance cushion exercises I use with dogs and have seen some interesting and promising results in both performance and elderly horses alike. I have been experimenting with placing a slightly unstable surface under horse’s feet and offering them slight movements such as reaching a little to one side or another for a piece of carrot or gently massaging one shoulder/hip or the other and creating a small wave of movement within the body.

As a riding instructor/clinician and trained equine bodyworker with a reasonable understanding of biomechanics, anatomy and physiology, I have been looking for specific equine research to explain why this seems to help and my conclusions are drawn from human and dog studies as there seems to be relatively little in the equine area. There appears to be activation of the proprioceptors in the feet of the horse, which likely send new information into the cerebellum, the part of the brain that regulates balance, posture and motor learning. This happens when any horse goes over any new surface. There is a change in the autonomic nervous system, the part of the nervous system responsible for bodily functions not consciously directed such as breathing and heartbeat. More importantly, sensory integration theory from the human field suggests that the horse learns for himself how to alter his balance, movement, then his emotion and thinking states.

The horse experiences a switching back and forth in his nervous system from the sympathetic (flight and flight reflex) to the parasympathetic (grazing reflex).

I often see horses shift from apparent anxiety or agitation to calmness during a balance session and reports from owners suggest that this ‘thinking state’ can remain with the horse for several days or weeks after a session. Generally techniques that alter a horse’s behavior and movement are a result of external training and rote learning and not necessarily of the horse’s choosing. This calmness is similar to what can be achieved with children with sensory integration problems who are often much calmer and better able to think in school after occupational therapy has offered sensory integration training (a considerable amount of balance and pressure exercises are often involved) or within my own work with street dogs and anxious dogs in which sensory integration training through proprioceptive walkways and balance exercises seems to offer the dogs a bravery and self confidence they lacked before training.

Proprioceptive training can include other exercise such as walking over challenging surfaces slowly (slowly is key so the horse has time to process the nerve information he receives). I have worked with tarpaulins, small riverstones, water, sand and even deeper snow by going slowly and changing the angles the horse works at, the mechanical structures of the horse (muscles, fascia, ligaments and tendons) can be activated safely.

Horses will tend to want to rush over perceived unsafe surfaces or even jump them. It is essential to have a trusting and non-forcing relationship as well as enough time to allow the horse to think about and decide whether or not to undertake a task. ‘No’ has to be an ok answer in therapy. I can say no to my physiotherapist or trainer, as a human, because the challenge is mentally or physically too great. The trainer/physio then has to re-present the challenge either changed so I can cope, graded so I can cope or completely altered so it doesn’t have the same effect on the mind. It shouldn’t be any different for the horse. As a human trainer I can explain and suggest or even persuade my riding clients things they can try. My approach needs to be the same with horses. In my opinion force has no place in my work but clear explanation and adaptability on my part has.

In my rider training I also work with balance and proprioceptive activities. And with riding lessons it is interesting to play with not managing the horse’s movement directly and especially after a time on balance cushions. If the horse stands on the cushions both without and then with the rider for a time before being offered the cue to move away at their own pace and without needing to be in a ‘frame’ or with very much contact, they often appear to seek and find their own balance. This is fascinating to me. Under normal training, some horses seem to look constantly to their rider for micromanagement while, after balancing, being encouraged to move at different paces in a safe environment with good footing and fences such as a round corral or school (these latter are for the rider’s safety by having fences which allow me to control the pace if needed), and without over management from the rider or me, they are offered time to explore how the new neural information gained from those balance exercises can help them move comfortably at the gait requested. Essentially this is more ‘horses with choices’ ideas as we offer the horse information and then give them the chance to explore it, rather than determining their frame or how they should use their muscles.

I find it particularly interesting with older horses who already have well set (though not always healthy) patterns of movement. The approach is extremely gentle and fits with my strong sense of ‘do no harm’ in older horses.

I tend to be very careful about stretching work with older horses. This subject is for a future blog however, I know for myself with my odd pattern of movement from disability and injury as a child that simply removing my muscle knots and stretching overly tight muscles to within a ‘normal’ range is painful and unhelpful while adjustments I have made semi-unconsciously myself through yoga, balance work and proprioceptive awareness stays with me longer and pain is experienced only as the ‘normal’ discomfort from training and reshaping muscle fibres!

Working with carefully graded balance-challenges seems to improve range of movement in some of my older clients and I am interested to extend this and look at the results. I’d love to think that the improvements we see in human and dog movement through working with balance and gentle stretching can be mirrored for our horses.

Over to you….

Have you worked with your horses proprioception or balance? What kind of things have you tried?

Would you like to know more or to work with me to improve movement in your horse, yourself or even your dog? Please feel free to contact me as I can and do work remotely as well as in person (the recent health restrictions internationally have taught us all just how much can be achieved online and I have seen some fantastic results even without being ‘there,’ with my clients and their animals!)

SERRATUS VENTRALIS THORACIC (SVT)

The SVT is the second part of the Serratus Ventralis muscle.

It is one of the deep muscles of the body and really essential to the horse’s movement. Serratus Ventralis is an essential muscle of the thoracic sling, supporting the weight of the neck and thorax from its position on the medial aspect of the scapula. This muscle is again divided into a cervical and thoracic portion, with the cervical portion originating on the transverse processes of C4-7 and the thoracic portion originating on the 1st to 8th ribs. Both portions insert on the medial aspect of the scapular cartilage and are innervated by the ventral branch of the local spinal nerve and the long thoracic nerve. The Serratus Ventralis Cervicis is much thicker than its thoracic counterpart. It extends along

the horse’s neck and draws the upper part of the shoulder blade forward. It can become hypertrophied or more pronounced in case of lower limb trauma, when extension of the front limb is diverted to the trunk muscles.

Indirectly, both serratus muscles are also very important for proper functioning of the horse’s stay apparatus as they aid in sustaining the horse’s weight when the muscle bulk relaxes. It should be considered in horses that do not appear rested that the stay apparatus and the thoracic sling apparatus should also be looked at in a wholistic diagnosis process.

The serratus ventralis thoracic is the section of the muscle that is located behind the shoulder in the region of the thoracic vertebrae as the name would suggest.

The Serratus Ventralis Thoracis attaches the inside of the horse’s scapula to the ribcage and can be intimately linked to the External Oblique. It is linked to breathing functions because of its position.

It inserts into the shoulder blade and attaches into ribs 1-8/9. 

(Ribs 1-8/9 ——> Medial Aspect of the scapula cartilage) 

What does it do?

• Draws the the scapula (the shoulder blade down and back, playing a part in extending the limb.

• Is part of the “Thoracic Sling” which suspends the horses chest cavity from the forelimb. 

The forelimb of the horse is very different from the human and not just because the foot is encapsulated by a hoof! The horse doesn’t have a collar bone like humans, but instead relies on muscle known as a synsarcosis to hold the thorax and forelimbs together. This muscular ‘joint’ affects the kinetic chains and fascia of the entire horse. A dysfunction in this area can be highly detrimental to the whole body.

Contraction of the thoracic sling muscles lift the trunk and withers between the shoulder blades, raising the withers to the same height or higher than the croup (hind end). By contrast, a horse that is travelling without proper contraction of its sling muscles, or with weak sling muscles will appear downhill and be ‘on the forehand.’

The large serratus ventralis thoracis as well as its cervical elements are well adapted for the task of carrying the trunk between the forelegs and their job extends to more than moving and connecting the front legs to the thorax, but even to the action of the horse’s spine.

• Thought to contribute to the elastic properties of the forelimb. 

. As part of the thoracic sling, it is a part of the process in which, as the neck lowers a little (within the normal range of movement and not with overbend), so the serratus ventralis comes into play, supporting the thorax and enabling the back to raise (as described in the dressage term ‘engagement’).

It is a vital muscle in both the extension of the front leg and the movement of the back when being ridden or engaged in athletic movement.

Main causes of problems in this muscle:

Injury/strain through poor tack, lameness, direct trauma (falling onto shoulder) and discipline, however it can also be affected by hoof growth or poor foot care.. 

For example: 

• Discipline: 

Jumping disciplines could predispose injury to the SVT due to the large concussive forces of landing that will increase the demand on the SVTs role in supporting and suspending the trunk from the forelimbs.

Tack: 

Ill fitting saddles that restrict shoulder movement, (i.e too tight) can prevent the scapula (shoulder blade) from moving back through direct restriction and/or pain which could result in SVT weakening. 

Over girthing or poor girth quality can directly impair the SVT through pinching and direct pressure that ultimately results in pain, injury and tension. 

• Lameness: 

Chronic offloading of one forelimb to the other unilaterally increases the demand of the SVT in suspending the trunk thus, exposing it to abnormal strain. 

What might you see in your horse to suggest a possible problem with the SVT

As well as the way the horse is travelling (ie downhill )there may be other signs that your horse is tight, sore or weak in the Thoracic Sling muscles.

• Reduced forelimb stride length.

. Reduced shoulder extension & flexion.

. Poor respiration (Due to location of the SVT over the ribs tension & pain could hinder ribcage expansion).

. Poor turning particularly on the forehand.

. Refusal to jump.

. ‘grumpy’ to be tacked up / sensitive to the girth

. breathing problems; even appearing to hold their breath in canter or gallop so dropping out of that gait

. reluctance to have front feet picked out / stretched forward for the farrier

. difficulty going up or down hills

. reluctance to pick up a lead or tend to swap leads or cross-canter

.difficulty with banks, drops and other jumps or obstacles that require extra “reach” in front

. showing reluctance when asked for lengthened strides

. tiring more quickly during exercise, because of having to work against the tightness to go forward

So what to do next –

If you suspect a problem in your horse’s SVT you might talk first with an equine vet together with an equine bodyworker. It would be important to rule out any nerve damage and to check both sides of your horse for muscle damage. (Horses can sometimes throw a little extra weight across if both front legs are sore so that it becomes difficult to see which shoulder is the origin of a problem).

You can quite easily feel the superficial pectorals and serratus ventalis thoracics yourself to see if you think your horse may be tight here:

Gently run your hands over the surface of the skin and see how they feel. It is good to go over your whole horse so you have the possibility of comparing different areas of muscles. Are they:

* Tight

* Loose

* Consistent and smooth

* Bumpy and stringy

* Are there even holes or dents in the muscles

* Is your horse sensitive in the chest or girth area

If you think your horse may be sensitive or tight in this area, or lacking strength and muscle tone, Equine bodywork or physiotherapy. is a great way to detect and treat problem areas helping to free up your horse, make them more comfortable and therefore more able to work correctly and become strong.

This isn’t a common area of unjustly although it can often be insufficiently built for the job a horse is expected to undertake and tack can adversely affect its development. Driving horses also risk both injury and underdevelopment of this muscle and it is a muscle known to be prone to injury if tired or over worked.

Physiotherapy will look at both electro therapy modalities; laser, pulsed magnetic field therapy and ultrasound alongside massage and remedial exercises such as slow walking, weight shifting, balance work, long lining and slow pole work. A physiotherapist or hydrotherapist may also recommend work on an underwater treadmill at a slow walk and with the support of the water.

Prevention is always better than cure and there are a number of things you can do and look at to give your horse the best possible chance to have strong muscles for a lasting career and healthy life.

The stronger and healthier the muscle is the less likely it is to become injured. Correctly warming up and cooling down the muscle will also reduce injury risk, and this can be a simple addition to a horse’s training plan with a good amount of walking in hand or on long lines as a part of daily training and especially when coming back into work after a testing period. Having your horse’s saddle checked is of course vital but don’t forget their girth which can affect and injure the muscles if ill fitting or the wrong shape for your horse. With a greater research and understanding in this area has come the invention of a range of ergonomic girth’s and your equipment specialist or saddle fitter together with your equine bodyworker should be able to help you decide on the most appropriate girth for your horse and their discipline.

An important aspect of fitness training is ‘cross-training’ – so as not to only concentrate on developing the key muscles used for your particular sport, but also in developing the stability muscles required for postural strength. Many concepts in developing these postural muscles are drawn from both yoga and Pilates and can be applied across to the horse (even though he has four legs and not two)! Both yoga do Pilates recognise the need for cantering or developing a strong core. This together with body awareness or proprioception are two of the base areas of development for fitness and training for any discipline. Research in human athletes has shown that strengthening these muscles enhances athletic performance and reduces the incidence of injury.  It has also been shown to be a very effective exercise program in accelerating the post-injury rehabilitation process in humans. In the horse the trainer needs exercises which aim to improve ‘core stability,’ ‘flexibility’ and ‘coordination.’
 The presence of incorrect movement techniques can result in the inability to undertake a movement with maximum efficiency or with the least expenditure of energy. 

A thoracic sling lift reaction can be used in a healthy horse who is happy to take part in it;

apply steady but gentle pressure with your finger starting at the sternum, sliding back over the pectoral muscles to an area to behind the girth. The horse will respond by lifting through the withers. This will activate the thoracic sling and the abdominal muscles. The lift should be held for about 5 seconds, then released. This stretch can be repeated 3 to 5 times as part of a stretching routine which might also include carrot stretches between the front legs and upwards with the head raised. As with most yoga or Pilates exercises, carrot stretches have the greatest effect when done as slowly as possible and held in place for as long as possible – about 5-10 seconds. Exercises for horses to strengthen the core stabilizing muscles can not only be used as part of a regular training program to enhance performance and reduce injury, but may also help to prevent the recurrence of back pain or problems with other muscle groups such as the thoracic sling in some horses who have suffered weakened or injuries in these areas.

For basic equine bodywork and full physiotherapy courses contact me through my website http://www.fyrafotter.se

Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Sometimes it’s called essential oil therapy. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It enhances both physical and emotional health.

Aromatherapy is thought of as both an art and a science. Recently, aromatherapy has gained more recognition in the fields of science and medicine. Essential oils are composed of chemicals extracted from plant leaves, stems, wood, bark, and/or fruits. Together, these compounds are classified as secondary plant metabolites, which plants produce to survive in the environment. Unlike primary metabolites, secondary metabolites do not participate in basic life functions such as cell division and growth, respiration, storage, and reproduction. Instead, secondary metabolites protect the plant in some way (e.g., against insects, disease-causing organisms, and the sun’s ultraviolet rays).

The list of available essential oils is extensive. Some of the more commonly used essential oils in modern medicine include basil, bergamot, chamomile, devil’s claw, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, ginger, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, tea tree, valerian, white willow, and yucca.

The first medicinal drugs came from natural sources and existed in the form of herbs, plants, roots, vines and fungi. Until the mid-nineteenth century nature’s pharmaceuticals were all that were available to relieve man’s pain and suffering….” Jones AW Drug Test Anal. 2011 Jun;3(6):337-44. doi: 10.1002/dta.301.

Some essential oils are known to have multiple benefits, like lavender. It smells beautiful and yet has a number of uses. In fact, lavender is considered the most versatile of all oils because it:

• Calms

• Cleans scrapes

• Reduces itch for insect bites

• Reduces nausea

Relieves allergies Some of the uses for essential oils with horses include:

• Repels insects

• Reduces anxiety

• Strengthens immune system

• Reduces inflammation

• Speeds wound healing

• Increases energy

• Improves digestion

• Relieves pain

• Increases circulation

While we can make up rubbing oils for example for insect repellents we can also apply the principles of zoopharmacognosy and offer oils in such a way that our horses can select their own oils. This technique is useful where oils are being offered to ease psychological or change behavioural issues. Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which animals apparently self medicate by selecting and ingesting or rolling in plants, minerals or insects and psychoactive drugs to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens and toxins.The term derives from Greek roots zoo (“animal”), pharmacon (“drug, medicine”), and gnosy (“knowing”). An example of this in horses is when we see horses in the UK working h the sir way down a hedgerow where wild willow or hawthorn and other flowers and herbs are available and selecting some. My old horse often ate rosebay willow herb at the end or if allowed in the middle of a longer endurance ride – years later I discovered it has an anti- inflammatory action and I suspect he was self medicating to cope with the rigours of his & my sport. An example of zoopharmacognosy occurs when dogs eat grass to induce vomiting. However, the behaviour is more diverse than this. Animals ingest or apply non-foods such as clay, charcoal and even mild amounts of toxic plants and invertebrates, seemingly to prevent or relieve parasitic infestation or poisoning. The problem with the theory is that while numerous behavioural examples are noted in zoological texts, it is hard to research under laboratory or more stringent conditions. Anecdotal reports from many naturopathic practitioners however offer examples both in the wild and of animals self selecting in domestic situations where choices are offered (eg willow or wilted nettles cut and out into a paddock; rosehip shells in a bucket; even our salt stones are examples offered in zoopharmacognosy texts. This term first appears in literature in the late 1970s and gained popularity from a number of academic works and in a book by Cindy Engel entitled ‘Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn from Them.’

Offering oils separately and at a distance from your horse (eg in the corner of a stable or in a round corral) where the horse is freely allowed to move away from them can be very helpful. This is also useful where you intend using an essential oil topically or on yourself – some horses, like some humans simply seem to dislike some smells. It may be by association as we experience (a friend of mine hates lavender – due to numerous visits to elderly persons homes with her vicar father as a small child, she thinks!) or simply preference.

In vitro (laboratory) study results show some essential oils have marked antimicrobial activity against both bacteria and fungi (Ebani and Mancianti 2020). This includes multi-drug-resistant strains of bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Essential oils not only have bactericidal properties, but some reportedly also exert antibiofilm properties. Biofilms are conglomerations of bacteria and the protective “slime” they produce that forms an impenetrable barrier around disease-causing organisms.

Essential oils also show promise as insecticides. One study demonstrated that tea tree oil extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia had excellent in vitro adulticidal activity against stable flies (Dillmann et al. 2020). These blood-sucking flies are a nuisance to horses, interrupt feeding, and can induce a flight response due to their painful bites (even in the middle of competitions). Biting flies can also transmit diseases, including equine infectious anemia.

Another group (Cox et al. 2020) reported that a commercial herbal topical spray used once daily for 28 days appeared to effectively manage insect bite hypersensitivity. The spray included extracts from lemongrass, peppermint, camphor, may chang, and patchouli. These essential oils were selected due to their previously demonstrated immunomodulatory (alters the immune response), antihistamine, antipruritic (anti-itch), anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, analgesic (relieves pain), and larvicidal (kills juvenile insects) activities.

One published study also supports lavender’s widely accepted role as a calming agent when used as aromatherapy, as determined by decreased heart rate variability in eight dressage horses (Baldwin and Chea 2018).

Essential oils, specifically carvacrol, are being explored as antiparasitics (Trailovic et al 2021). This would be a welcome solution to the widespread resistance of roundworms (Parascaris sp.) to all three major anthelmintic (deworming) families.

Generally speaking, aromatherapy uses natural essential oils to enhance animals’ psychological and physical well-being—a broad and sweeping description. As such, these products, which are not and cannot be classified as drugs, are also used for managing painful musculoskeletal conditions, immune stimulation, antioxidant activity, calming solutions, and gastric ulceration. Essential oils can also be administered via inhalation using a commercial nebulizer to improve respiratory health.

Using essential oils in conjunction with, not instead of, modern medicine and with a veterinarian’s expertise, we can:

• Reduce the need for systemic antibiotics. Using products capable of fighting infections without antimicrobials promotes good antibiotic stewardship and alleviates the pressure of creating or treating antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogens.

• Minimize the need for anti-inflammatory medications and their side effects. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., phenylbutazone or “Bute”) might contribute to gastric ulceration or colitis, and corticosteroids have the potential to induce laminitis.

• Maintain intestinal microbiome health. Any medication has the potential to disrupt the delicate balance of microbes found in the cecum and colon. Dysbiosis can result in diarrhea, behavior changes, a compromised immune system, and other negative outcomes.

• Reduce environmental contamination with drugs, drug byproducts, or chemicals.

Just like other complementary and alternative therapies, horse owners tend to consider essential oils universally safe. In reality, the safety of essential oils remains largely undetermined, and both their positive and negative properties need further investigation.

In mice and rats, essential oils are associated with liver, kidney, and reproductive toxicity and changes in blood vessels and can cause oxidative stress (Ebani and Mancianti 2020). Further, a recent series of articles published in the European Food Safety Authority Journal warned consumers to consider essential oils to be skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritants. Human study results report photosensitization following exposure to sunlight and dermatitis after applying essential oils topically. Lavender, peppermint, and tea tree oil appear to be the biggest offenders.

As with joint supplements and other complementary and alternative therapies, choose a quality product. Substandard oils might not contain the listed ingredient at the indicated concentration or amount. Products might be contaminated with other ingredients that can affect your horse’s health.

Finally, be aware of which essential oils equestrian governing bodies prohibit. Be aware some Jockey Clubs and other regulatory sports bodies have included various herbs and oils on their prohibited substance lists, so check before you use if you are competing, especially at a commercial level.

A summary of points to remember using essential oils around animals are;

Always allow an animal to walk away from any application or remedy

Take care around thesensitive areas like eyes, ears, noses and genitals area – avoid essential oil irritants

Understand the extracts you are working with. Read up on how the remedy relates to the species that you are working with

Equines / other herbivores – hold the bottle firmly so that the hand covers most of the bottle, to prevent it from being snatched from your hand and into their mouth

Equines / other herbivores – do not use a nose bag for inhalation purposes

Equine / other herbivores – caution bottles on ledges in the stable; the horse may put one in their mouth. They also may easily be forgotten or fall and break

Cats and dogs – do not use a vaporiser / diffuser unless your cat or dog can walk away from the aroma into another room

This list is taken directly from the work of Caroline Ingram in the UK and you may find her work in zoopharmacognosy interesting.

To get started, essential oils regarded as safe for horses include, but are not limited to: basil, bergamot, chamomile, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint, and tea tree. Please keep in mind that essential oils are VERY concentrated, and horses are more sensitive than humans. A good rule of thumb is never to put essential oils directly onto your horse without diluting them in a carrier oil or allowing them to float in water if selected by your horse. I have seen a number of horses on box rest for example appear to perk up and be more interested if a few drops of essential oil of peppermint is added to a bucket of water in their stable (extra to their drinking water). I’ve seen horses play with such peppermint water and even drink a whole bucket where they would normally be a poor drinker. If I don’t have any peppermint oil I sometimes make up a couple of peppermint teabags and steep them in a cup of water for half an hour before adding to a separate water bucket if a horse is reluctant to drink water in a new place. By getting them used to peppermint or camomile at home, the water (which may taste very different at a competition venue from home) can be more palatable to the horse.

So long as your horse is comfortable with the smells and reactions in his body to an oil or group of oils you can make up rubbing oils, put oils in water and use a nebuliser to spray fine droplets of diluted oil into the atmosphere around your horse.

Here are some oils and their properties;

Some simple applications are:

Basil

Basil is traditionally used any sort of spasm. It is useful in old and new muscle spasm. I find it particularly useful for rubbing in a dilution in olive oil in show-jumping horses where their shoulders tighten up and in front of the shoulder blade. (The dressage horse and rider might well benefit from a quick sniff of basil before a test, as it sharpens the mind and helps retain focus on the task at hand.)

Bergamot

Bergamot will help relieve any skin irritations. It is useful in addressing mild skin eruptions usually caused by an allergic reaction or insect bites.

(Bergamot is also favourite for dealing with “butterflies’ in the stomach type nerves, so a good whiff might help precompetition nerves for both horse and rider. It eases away anxieties and clears the air so pre-event jitters do not incapacitate.)

Chamomile

Chamomile is an expensive essential oil, but worth every penny. It helps the muscle utilise magnesium so you don’t have the muscles cramp or spasm from intense work. (Camomile is traditionally the ‘tantrum’ remedy in small children and the sleep helper calming and soothing a horse stressed by a situation or struggling to sleep in a new place).

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is often regarded as a handy essential oil to have around to ward off winter ills. If you have the scent of eucalyptus wafting around your stable it can act as a negative ion generator. Eucalyptus is best known for and extremely useful as a post-event muscle rub and is included in many liniments. It is also an essential oil that freshens up an environment and useful to have around for horses that are confined in stables for long periods of time as it is supposed to lift the spirits and create a natural feel in the stables.

Frankincense

Frankincense is an old-wound healer and strong anti inflammatory. It can be used in a wash for wounds that are taking longer than expected to heal.

It also helps with respiratory disorders in a chest rub and has some good research possibilities in reducing inflammation associated with both cancer and arthritis. (Emotionally frankincense can be regarded as a good ‘fear’ essential oil and useful if a horse is reluctant to go on transport for example, sprinkling a little diluted in water on the bedding under your horse).

Geranium

Geranium is another oil useful in addressing stuck, aching muscles (I suppose it isn’t surprising that my key essential oils are mostly about massaging and muscles!)

It helps relieve spasms while having a mild analgesic effect so you can massage the muscle more deeply when needed. (This essential oil balances hormones and moods. Some practitioners specifically target this in a massage oil for mares and fillies at times when their hormone might affect their performance)

Lavender

Lavender soothes heat. Useful when addressing inflammation and can be applied gently to bruising and swelling to facilitate recovery. Lavender generally needs less dilution than most oils. (This essential oil will also take the heat out of emotionally heightened situations. When stress is causing disruptions to preparations during a competition, for example, you could have lavender on a tissue or as a perfume to help reduce the stress of your colleague, child or trainer)!

Lemongrass

Lemongrass has an affinity with myofascial tissue and is useful in the recovery of tendon problems as well as shin soreness. (This oil is a favourite to burn at home when learning dressage tests, or to sniff while walking a course the day before a cross-country event or just before a jumping competition. It should help you retain your learning).

Rose

In a 2015study, postoperative children inhaled either almond oil or rose oil. The patients in the group that inhaled rose oil reported a significant decrease in their pain levels. Researchers think the rose oil may have stimulated the brain to release endorphins, often called the “feel-good” hormone.

Based on the outcome of this study, the researchers suggested that aromatherapy using rose oil could be an effective way to ease pain in patients who’ve had surgery. Rose is known as an oil for healing the psyche after trauma and was carried by ancient warriors in Asia. Ancient Persian medicine used rose oil for treating wounds as it has anti-infective properties. You can use the oil topically by diluting it with a carrier oil.

As you can probably tell, I’m fond of rose and I often wear it while working in places where horses I am treating may have trauma, separation, grief or loss in their past as I have found it allows me much quicker access to their bodies for physiotherapy and massage treatments. (For us, rose oil is known to be excellent for the skin due to the antioxidant activity of rose essential oil, which spurs on the natural healing processes of the skin – so having a little rose in a rubbing oil for your face might brighten your appearance when showing!)

Tea Tree

Tea tree has traditionally been used by aboriginal horseman in Australia, brushing the branch of the tea tree bush across the back of an itching horse. It is useful in a blend of essential oils for rain-scald or fungal infections like ringworm, as well as in a wash for wounds to prevent infection. But take care to dilute this oil as it can cause a reaction in some individuals.

I’ve mentioned diluting and massaging with oils; Essential oils affect horses psychologically and physiologically when used for massaging.  When making up a rubbing oil, the recommended dosages applied to humans suffice for horses.   A rule of thumb is 100ml of base oil to carry 2.5ml of essential oil.  Choose the type of essential oils to use, determine how many drops it takes to make a milliliter, and then begin to blend your massage oil.

You may incorporate the blend in a style of massage you already use or you may use it as a spot liniment.

Essential oils absorb through the skin via the hair follicles as their molecular structure allows them to pass between the dermas and enter the body’s extracellular fluids.  With this in mind, your massage strokes are long and sweeping, warming the body and hastening up the absorption of essential oils.  If you find an area of muscle resistance, you may concentrate your techniques there, always remembering to resume the original intent of your massage.

It may take as long as a week for the body to absorb and metabolize the essential oils and excrete them out through the urinary system. 

Please remember not all oils are made equal and look into buying organic oils from a good brand. They are more expensive but worth the money. Some brands offer advice sheets specific to horses too so it is worth checking out the brand online and seeing what you can learn.

Just to get you started on massage with essential oils;

Getting Started:  A blend for sore and tired muscles

Rosemary 10 drops

Bergamot 4 drops

Juniper 6 drops

Lavender 5 drops

Essential Oils   page 2

This blend will improve circulation to muscles and relieve anxiety.

*If the dropper dispenses 40 drops to make a ml., then use 25ml of cold-pressed vegetable base oil.

Again (sorry I am labouring the point) – Never use essential oils straight out of the bottle. They must be diluted with a base oil.

Let me know if you have tried using aromatherapy with your horse. Have you engaged an aromatherapist or aromatherapy practitioner veterinarian?

Fascial connections we rarely talk about are the ones inside the thoracic cavity!

Sometimes we struggle with the horse’s body and even when we do everything right the horse is still unbalanced.

This can be because the musculoskeletal structure can mirror the visceral restrictions in the body. Ie. the nerves, circulation, organs and internal structures that carry old tightnesses, scars and adhesions.

Visceral restrictions just like musculoskeletal restrictions are governed by fascial mobility between structures. By the ability of organs and structures to be suspended, independent and mobile at the same time. This could be thought of as like having a rucksack filled with kittens. They can all move a little but are contained and supported. If two kittens cling to one another or fight and get caught up together, it will affect the movement of the other kittens and may make the rucksack less well balanced (not my best analogy ever but I hope it helps to make the point!)

Many horses have experienced or will suffer at some point in their life from ulcers or colic, or possibly both. The fact we sit on them interferes greatly with organ mobility and functionality and intra abdominal pressures. So the fact of life for a horse being ridden or worked in a cart and harness is that their organs are affected by their work. Equally gastric problems from eating high grain content (not the natural feed for a moving prey animal) can affect how willing an animal is to swing their painful belly out of the way in trot and canter and so affect the way they move, resulting in compensations through the body and potentially affecting the muscles and joints as much as the digestive system itself.

This has been described as a process in which gastric distress leads to ‘compromised tensegrity of the musculoskeletal body’ (kittens clining to each other and creating imbalance to the rucksack) and potentially therefore adversely affecting the growth the feet (both the nutritional uptake required to create strong structures and the changes in pressure affecting balanced growth), reducing for the horse his ability to function properly.

Pain in the feet can result in more gastric distress and the cycle is the. set- GI distress and pain leading to compromised posture reflected in foot and body dysfunction. This inturn exacerbates postural dysfunction and so on in an unhelpful spiral for the horse’s wellbeing and functional movement.

Once the team around the horse has treated the primary cause such as ulcers or colic, the body and feet, we still need to think of the fascial attachments within the thoracic cavity.

The following is a very rough connection and geography of structures. It is helpful to know that everything in the body is double bagged because of embryonic folding. All these structures are connected through fascia and ligaments and the ‘rucksacks’ that they are in.

For example- the spleen is tied to the stomach of the horse by gastrosplenic ligament; it lies against the diaphragm and the large intestine and left kidney. It is held in place by the gastrosplenic, phrenicosplenic and renosplenic ligaments.

Lots of the organs and tubes of the horse can be regarded as mushed into the visceral peritoneum.

Ligament passes from a wall to an organ, or from an organ to an organ!

The cavities enclosed by serous membranes are closed cavities. Organs which lie against the walls of the abdominal or pelvic cavities and which are covered only on one surface by peritoneum are said to be retroperitoneal.

Organs which project freely into the abdominal, pelvic, and scrotal cavities and receive a nearly complete covering of peritoneum are termed intraperitoneal.

All organs need to maintain mobility independently of other structures they are anchored to or touching upon.

All the internal fascial bags need freedom of motion and the ability to glide over each other.

Any dysfunction in the visceral structures will always lead back to the spinal nerve root and be reflected in the musculoskeletal structures that are innervated by the same spinal nerve root !

This rule appears to work in both directions meaning musculoskeletal restrictions can also create visceral restriction.

So what does this mean for us and our horses? In my opinion, it means we must think holistically when we work with them. When we heal or release one area we cannot simply think that is it, all done. If we have seen our horse have medical issues and then notice a performance issue, we may need to look at releasing or massaging the body and vice versa. There is a need, I feel not just to go back to full training without at least ‘having a look under the hood’ and considering whether massage, bodywork, magnetic blanket, acupuncture or other techniques might help. Equally when I am working with the musculoskeletal body, I need to be aware of the organs involved in an area and take account of the other systems affected.

What is the difference between turnout for your horse and being turned out for a period of limited contact with people and more contact with horses.

Turnout in this case can be defined as a period each day outside in a field or paddock with or without a group of horses.

Turned out would be a longer period (days,weeks or months) of being out with a stable group of horses (ie nobody comes in to work or goes out again after a period of being inside for work or rest).

It is well documented and acknowledged that horses need friends and a place to express their species specific behaviour. They have rights to water, food and an elements of socialisation in many countries’ legal systems. Horses as a species are flight animals and, as such, need others around them for guard duty so they can sleep, eat and relax. Horses naturally want to go and explore new grazing and have as much a psychological need for movement as a physical one. Feral horse groups are seen to cover long distances exploring the food and shelter available as well as running short distances away from predators. Horses are built to spend a considerable amount of their time grazing tough-to-eat grasses and browsing a little on woody shrubs to supply their gut with material for warmth and energy as well as their feet natural trimming and their teeth the same. Because we remove some of this natural behaviour in order to protect and work with our horses for our own purposes, we have a duty to offer them protection for their gut, feet and teeth as well as their psyche and social needs.

When I think of turned out verses turnout, I am wondering how we as horse lovers can offer our horses more of their natural behaviour. In the world of dog care and training, the concept of enrichment for the pet is well known and many owners have chewy toys or interactive toys that help the predator species engage their hunting and social brains so that they are calmer, happier and more content. This also helps their bodies. The effects of stress in humans and other animals is well documented as increased stress hormones are released which can lead to a number of health problems from arthritic flare ups, raised blood pressure to cancer. The compensatory responses to these stresses are known as stress responses. Based on the type, timing and severity of stress, it can exert various actions on the body (resulting in stress responses) ranging from alterations in homeostasis to life-threatening effects and death. In many cases, the pathophysiological complications of disease arise from stress and the subjects exposed to stress, e.g. individuals including animals, that work or live in stressful environments, have a higher likelihood of many disorders. Stress can be either a triggering or aggravating factor for many diseases and pathological conditions.

If we consider stress from the definition offered by the UK mental health charity ‘Mind,’ we read the following;

• Situations or events that put pressure on us– for example, times where we have lots to do and think about, or don’t have much control over what happens.
• Our reaction to being placed under pressure – the feelings we get when we have demands placed on us that we find difficult to cope with.

Do we ever put our horses under stress? By those definitions I believe we put our horses under daily stress.

Having little control over what happens is the life of most captive animals, so offering control in a safe manner becomes a goal to reduce stress for our horses. I don’t want my horses to be eaten by wolves or run over by logging lorries, so I have to keep them within fences, but is there a way I can increase their sense of control over their lives. Stress is also induced by being alone (see all the recent studies and articles on the effects of lockdowns and social isolating behaviours during the recent Covid pandemic) for us, as social animals. Being a herd animal is by its nature and definition being a social animal. Keeping horses locked up alone is psychologically stressful and we need to consider very carefully the effects our particular stable or stall and work arrangement may have on our equine family member.

Being worked and having short periods of turnout is better obviously than being trapped indoors, however, horses held in paddocks separated from other horses by fencing for example, cannot express their social behaviours and groom or even play with each other. It is a tough decision for the owner of a beloved and possibly extremely expensive animal to risk a kick or bite which could end a career or even a life, but simply seeing other horses is not as stress reducing as expressing all the behaviours of the species.

Turned out means a longer period in a larger place with more than one other horse. It carries risks but it offers huge gains for the horse, his body and his mind.

So how can we achieve this freedom and still have horses? I really like the interesting work of Jaime Jackson on the concept of Paddock Paradise. First developed to help horses make and maintain better hooves, Jackson, an American farrier looked at how wild horses move and behave and the effects on their bare hooves, relating it to barefoot domestic horses.

Paddock Paradise aims to offer the following within a domestic setting (ie the limitations we all have of land, fences, time and cost)

• provides a more stimulating environment for the horse which discourages vices
• encourages more movement which benefits overall health of the horse
• enables easier grazing management
• can allow the creation of obstacles and challenges which build the horse’s muscles as well as enriching the psyche
• can facilitate rehabilitation in a naturalised setting by the adaption of any track to the veterinary needs of the horse (eg limiting movement to flat areas or increased physical challenge in response to a rehab or post operative plan)

Jackson proposed that instead of housing horses in regular square or oblong fields where they tend to stand in one spot and eat, (and eat, and eat,) an additional “inside” fence is added to create a “track” system. This can be as fancy or as simple as your own imagination allows! It doesn’t have to be just a circle around the perimeter of a field but could be a labyrinth or serpentine- but by separating where food and eater is, the horses are facilitated to move more often to reach each.

The track width can vary – the narrower the track the more the horses will move. However care must be taken as too narrow may result in being cornered or trapped by more dominant horses while too wide may result in standing still and eating in one place!

It may sound like a lot of work and expense but it can be done quite cheaply and quickly using electric fencing and is well worth the effort when one considers the reduction in stress, increase in exercise and greater natural behaviour. Healthy, happy horses tend to result in less expensive health needs and more opportunities for having fun with them!

At its most basic you are turning your horse out with another couple of equines or other herd animals on a race track with a bucket of water at one corner and some hay at another but the possibilities for this system are endless and limited only by your imagination.

With my own horses in winter I am a little limited as to space due to snow and the access j need to get food to the horses but nonetheless I have created a pathway that incorporates the woods, with some hay sometimes placed I trees and in the ground there, a sloping pathway with a cool ice and a stone area and a round pen. I added their large shelter (a barn big enough to incorporate all) with water in it and I move where they can find hay so that it isn’t as predictable as simply standing around a large bale (which, honestly, would be easier for me and I do give them on weeks where I know my timetable will leave me struggling to find the time to top up small hay feeders regularly enough. I mitigate this ‘laziness’ with a long walk between large hay bales and water.)

The next thing to consider is how long your horse is going to be outside with his or her friends. I know that when I build our stable block I want to ensure the horses can eat and drink away from competition but still have the option to see and touch neighbours, however I also know it will be important that the stables are used for short periods rather than as the major proportion of the horses’ time.

When I spent some time working on a Canadian ranch, many years ago I was surprised to learn that the majority of the ranch horses in the depths of the British Columbian winter were outside and running about with their friends over 100s of acres where they were at risk from predators and environmental injury. I was further challenged to rethink my view of horse care when I realised that the majority of those ‘wildings’ were extremely valuable rodeo and competition horses alongside the ranch horses who were absolutely vital to reach the cattle throughout the year. Each horse that worked was in for a period of the week, kept in lens and an open barn, except when fed and prepared for work. When it was time for a fresh horse, we would ride out in search of the herd (most groups of horses have fairly well worn routes) and swap horses out in one of the many narrow sports or corrals on the ranch. The horses were tough, sure footed and unbelievably fit, but incredibly willing to work with humans and keep me (a nutty Scotswoman with very little clue about how the world worked as far as the horse was concerned) safe. It strikes me this was a good way to keep horses. Until I read about Jackson’s Pasture Paradise years later, I couldn’t work out how I could keep my beloved horse and pony in a similar way without 100s of acres and pots of money to buy them!

The advantage of a track is that you can adapt the underlay to your horse’s needs!

Want a jumper? Consider the muscles your horse requires to jump – hind quarters and strong back and begin to create challenges that will strengthen those muscles every time he walks to his water.

Need more stretch in the neck of your dressage horse? Create barriers in front of some of the food stations so he will stand with his neck muscles in extension for a part of the day.

Need to improve the shape and growth of your horse’s hooves? Create areas specific to hooves with river stone or gravel to round off and develop the hoof wall.

Discuss with your physio, vet, dentist, trainer, behaviouralist, barefoot trimmer, farrier the needs of your particular horse and how those needs might be supplied ‘along the way’ rather than just with the short time you are with them. The crib biter, weaver or wind sucker may be helped by a mind that is filled with new challenges – I have seen this work with horses in my care. The older horse will benefit from the regular motion the body needs but with a few softer underlays which may challenge balance while offering gentle support to the joints. There is just so much we can offer our horses and we can add to the ‘paradise’ year on year or week by week according to our imaginations, their needs and our purse strings!

I’d love to read about how you offer your horse enrichment and the chances to exert his or her natural behaviour!